Ryall, who joined the National Theatre in 1962 on leaving London’s Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, appeared in the 2004 Around the World in 80 Days; Truly, Madly, Deeply in 1990 and The Elephant Man in 1980.

Actor turned writer and producer Mark Gatiss, who directed Ryall in The Tractate Middoth in 2013, described him as a “twinkling, brilliant, wonderful actor”.

Scriptwriter David Brown tweeted that Ryall played “one of the best Inspector Morse baddies. Derek Whittaker – driving test psycho who tried to knife Morse”.